South Korea will host the world's second-largest nanotech convention this week in an effort to help industrial and scientific communities check the latest trends in the cutting-edge field, the government said Monday.

This year's Nano Korea 2010, slated to start Tuesday at the Korea International Exhibition Center northwest of Seoul, will involve 250 companies, laboratories and engineering associations from 11 countries, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said.

The convention is second only in size to the Japan Nanotech exhibition, while it is larger

This year's gathering will be centered on the use of nanotechnology to advance environmental protection, the ministry said. In 2009, the global market was estimated at US$292 billion, with the total likely to top $2.6 trillion in 2014.

The ministry said this year's event is noteworthy because it will be held alongside the

International Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers-Nano Conference (IEEE-Nano). This annual event is the gathering of leading scientists, engineers and companies in the nanotech areas.

"Over 1,000 papers from researchers all over the world are planned to be released during the Nano Korea 2010 and IEEE-Nano conference that will run through Friday," a ministry official said.